The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-10-12
DANGERS or THE SEA.
Perils Encountered Upon the Stormy Nam
by Latter Day Navigat0rs.


perils Encountered Upon the Stormy Main |
by Latter-Day Navigators.
The modern song and story-makers
are not as fond as were their predeces-
sors of the olden time of referring to
waves that .'run mountains high"
'.crested pillows soaring above the
maintop," and all that sort Of thing.
That kind of literature and ministry to
the popular idea passed out with the
big ships-disappeared from the ocean
of reading matter, just as square-rig-
ged craft of every description vanish
ed upon tho advent of ocean steam
vessels, and are now scarcely TO he
found in any of their old haunts or sit.
uations. The romance of the sea and
its navigation was inseparablo from
sails and rigging and hulls. which de-
pended rather upon the skill OF COM
mander than any powers afforded by
inanim ate agencies for the safe and
successful prosecution of voyage and
venture.
Nevertheless, the soa has not
changed during all tho years since
creation, and the attributes OF old
ocean remain the same as when Paul
the apostle made his coasting trips, or
Columbus the discoverer set tho ex-
ample Of long voyages. The winds
roll up the waves in precisely the same
manner to-day rs in the days of Noah.
Currents are as dcceitful. lee shores as
terrible, icebergs as dangerous. hurrl-
canes as formidable as when the
navies Of the earth were In their In
fancy.
And so 1t il that, Notwithstanding all
the advances which man has made in
the direction Of overcoming the
natural obstacles to navigation OF the
ocean, it still remains that he
has not progressed in the least in
most desirable ways and In matters
of vital importance. For example:
Fogs as an clement opposed to
marine operations. are not whit
less dangerous to-day than in the days
when tho great Admirals of the nations
modelled their vessels upon the wash
erwoman's tub. The combing. break
ing .'sea" will tear in pieces tho mod
ern-built hull just as quickly and as
completely Us was the case when the
Armada foundered.
| Collisions at sea are even worse nov
than in the olden time, for rates o.
speed are higher, and, when mistakes
occur, they are sure to be more disas
trous than when simple order o
things prevailed. In Hle matter of Sc
curity against fire. tho dividing Q
ships into compartments, whereby
practically many hulls are made o
one, and similar provisions against &C
cident or bad management there il
something to be said for human in
vention and discovery, but in man.
supreme points nature still hold a1
irresistible front
But the landsman' measure OF tn
perils of the ocean is not very likely t
represent that which affects tho car
tain of the first-class '.iner" anon!
, steamships; nor is the estimate OF dan
ger of even the most experienced pas
senger by any means sure to impress
the veteran navigator equally. Tn
one recognizes lurking mishaps in
fog, and is tried to the verge OF endu1
, ance during its prevalence. while tn
0 other whistles carelessly because til
, sea is smooth and the winds a,
, lulled. The captain notes wit
{ concentration of apprehensio
, the gathering Of icebergs on ever
v hand, we'll knowing that the slighte
e change in the weather, or the sudde
!, drawing of curtain of mist, may p'
j. him at his wits end in G.
s Treating his vessel; and all the viii
if his passengers delight in the sunshi'
Q cleaning from thousand pinnacle
1t and the grotesque marshaling of Il
: unique army. The Captain, finding b
craft in the midst Of powerful It'd
ways and influenced by hidden GU
rents, sees with awe and distrust tn
:. wind and waves are rising in conjun
g ton, and that tho waters present mo
:, and more tho formation, peculiar
!. the situation, of perpendicular wal
~ seemingly and actually ready to to
- pie over upon whatever opposes wi
~ an overwhelming force.
~ These are not fancy pictures OF p
a. sible dangers which might confront
~ navigator, as exceptional exporter
80 in a long career They are ev
~ present, practical situations. which
~ transatlantic steamship Captain m
~ be familiar with, and in the midst
~ which he lives and works That
;, vessel is propelled by steam power
~, something in his favor, which is aim
~ neutralized by the fact that she
~ sure to be of size and prop
- tons and to present difficulties in nj
- - CATION far in excess of that WI
~ would be the case if she depended $
IN ly upon sails for propulsion. A br
~ in machinery during furious g
=; contact Of such bulk, be it ever
20 slight apparently with an iceb'
700 blind cruising under so tremendous
sn sponsibility ip the midst Of dense +
he sometimes for days; the decision
for thousand questions which may a
.,;s of what is best to be done or avoid'
% . the captains dread is not of the su
" natural, the unusual, the extrem
waves, or storms, or gales, but o.
81 ordinary evils Of the sea, which ar
sonarab}e from its navigation